Celebrating the collaboration between Inspired’s Scotia Village and Bon Secours Hospital Tralee. Front row, from left; Liz Maher CEO Inspired, Liam Purcell, Rachel O’Connor and Kate Malone and Ben Savage- Scotia Village harvest team. Back row, from left; Owen McCarthy Mission Lead, Bon Secours Hospital (BSH) Tralee, Liz Griffin (BSH), Brendan Fealy Catering Manager (BSH), Roisin Curran (BSH), Finbar Keane (BSH), Sarah O’Connor (BSH) and Lil Hannifin (BSH).INSPIRED has announced a new collaboration between Bon Secours Hospital Tralee and Scotia Village, creating meaningful training and future employment opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities while supporting local, sustainable food production.
Scotia Village is an innovative community project in Tralee, run by the Inspired organisation to empower adults with intellectual disabilities through climate action, inclusive education, and sustainable enterprise
Bon Secours Hospital Tralee is purchasing certified organic produce grown at Scotia Village. The partnership supports local food production while providing participants with hands-on experience in a live horticultural and enterprise training.
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Owen McCarthy, Head of Mission, said; “This collaboration with Scotia Village is a wonderful expression of our core value of sustainability, supporting locally grown organic produce, reducing food miles and creating meaningful opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities to develop skills and confidence for future employment. We are proud to build on the strong relationship we have developed with Inspired through a number of successful collaborations in recent years.”
“I would like to acknowledge the commitment of Brendan Fealy, Catering Manager, and our Catering Team, whose support has helped bring this initiative to life. Together, we are demonstrating how partnership, social inclusion and sustainable practices can create lasting benefits for our community.”
Welcoming the collaboration, Liz Maher, CEO of Inspired, said that: “This partnership demonstrates what can be achieved when local organisations like ourselves work together to benefit both people and the community. The initiative provides an authentic hands-on learning environment where participants experience the direct impact of their work while developing their skills and confidence.
“I want to like to thank the very dedicated staff and volunteers in Scotia Village, their hard work demonstrates how inclusion strengthens communities and benefits everyone. We look forward to continuing to grow this exciting initiative together and we are all delighted to work with Bon Secours Hospital Tralee, whose commitment to supporting community projects has always been exceptional.”
According to Inspired’s Career and Programme Coordinator, “Working within a commercial setting like this enables the individuals we work with to develop practical skills in food production, and gain experience across the entire food business operation. Not to mention, that it’s a great opportunity for people with intellectual disabilities to gain transferable employment skills. Big thanks to our Food Enterprise Team, Kate Malone, Hagai Tzarfati supporting staff and volunteers, whose dedication, teamwork and commitment have helped make this partnership possible. It’s a whole community effort”.
The initiative forms part of Scotia Village’s wider circular economy and sustainability programmes, where environmental stewardship and social inclusion go hand in hand.
This collaboration represents another important milestone in Scotia Village’s vision of creating an inclusive learning environment where people with intellectual disabilities are recognised for their abilities, contribute to the local economy and help build a healthier, more sustainable future for Kerry.
